Mixed Results In South Bend
Last week, the squad traveled down to Notre Dame for the 2nd time in 3 weeks and 3rd tournament in a row, a stretch of the season one could only describe as “a grind”. For the Wolverines, there were once again ups and downs and mixed results. Michigan finished 4th overall in the Big 10 after a tough loss to Oregon. The first day of the tournament was pool play, where key absences and injuries plagued the Wolverines, ending the day with an incredibly mediocre record of 1-1-1. The first game was a wake-up call, where they tied a surprisingly dangerous Purdue team, which will also be headed to the CRCs. They faced a familiar foe in the second match, losing another tight defensive battle 10-5 to Indiana. The attack finally got clicking in the final match of the day, where multiple Wolverines showed off their talent in a dazzling performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Big 10s Day 2
The second day of the tournament pitted Michigan against the Hawkeyes again in the first round, where they were able to win again and advance. The semi-finals match was against a team from all the way out on the west coast, a newcomer in the Big 10, the Ducks of Oregon. Oregon was a dangerous squad with lots of talent, and put it on display, defeating the Wolverines 28-17 in a hard-fought match. A shoutout goes to Freshman Regan Plank, who had a hat-trick in the loss. The final matchup was once again against the Indiana Hoosiers, who, to the dismay of the Michigan faithful, were able to win another close game, 19-12. The Wolverines fought hard and battled back thanks to a crafty play by Freshman Noah Alvarez, who stripped the ball from the Indiana ballcarrier and dove in for a try.
The Big Dance
The Wolverines have one more schedule on their tournament, the CRCs down in Maryland. The team will be looking to build on its 8th-place finish in the nation last year, hoping to prove the doubters wrong. Michigan drew a 6 seed and will play against Marian, who is a 3 seed. Two teams that are unfamiliar with each other should look to be an interesting matchup. The Wolverines will play at 10:00am on Friday. You can catch the match on the National Collegiate Rugby YouTube channel, where the whole tournament will be livestreamed. Stay tuned for more information to come in the future, and make sure to cheer on the Wolverines this weekend as they push for the ultimate prize, a CRC title!
